The Difference of an Instant
by King of the Fallen
Summary: One decision made by a father destroyed the innocence of his only son.  One decision made by their guardian nearly destroyed a village, and tore a family apart.  One decision made by a boy created a man of strength.  NegiXHarem asuna and Takahata bashing.
1. Chapter 1

The Difference of an Instant

Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of its associated concepts or characters. However if I did, Negi would have gotten laid many times over by now.

AN: Negi will have a harem in this fic. So far the girls include (not in any particular order) Nodoka, Kaede, Ku Fei, Kazumi, Yue, Mana, Zazie, Chachamaru, Chisame, Ako, and Makie.

AN2: Anything that comes from a real source like a book or song will be written in Italics.

...

Chapter 1: The 15 Year old Professor

...

Standing in a train while looking around in awe is a young man of possibly fifteen or sixteen years of age. His hair is a pinkish red and his eyes were a deep chocolate brown. He wore a pale green suit with a red tie, and on his back was a large backpack with a number of items one would see while camping. There was also a long, strange wrapped stick that was longer than he was tall. His short hair was layered with the bottom layer pulled back in a short low ponytail. He stood at a generous 5'9". He looked at the numerous other passengers on the train and smirked. It was crowded, but in this situation that was just how he liked it. After all what hot blooded man wouldn't love being pressed up against the bodies of hot girls his age, especially hot, tall, well-developed girls his age.

'I think I went to heaven instead of Japan" he thought to himself as another girl stumbled into him pressing her assets against his chest.

"Oh Sorry" she said without looking.

"It's no problem at all" he replied in a light tone. His voice was a mild baritone that held a contained maturity. The girl looked at him and did a double take at seeing him. His face was rugged and angular giving him an almost regal look. He had a smirk on his face that showed amusement at her astonishment. She blushed in embarrassment as she wondered what it would be like to kiss him.

"What are you doing here? The only stops after this are to all girls schools" asked the girl curiously. She was tall at roughly 5'7", with red hair tied up into a high ponytail, with her bangs clipped to the side, revealing deep brown eyes. She wore the traditional uniform of the middle school, and had a camera around her neck. Her figure was well developed with wide hips a thin waist and generous E cup breasts.

"Well you see I actually have a job at the middle school. I'm supposed to be a teacher" replied the boy much to their astonishment.

"Wha? A teacher, but you can't be much older than us" said another girl.

"True, but I have a Bachelors degree in education, a Masters degree in English, and a Doctorate in psychology. All in all I'm suited to not only working as a teacher, but also as a councilor if I'm needed as such" said the boy making everyone in hearing range gape at the sheer insanity of how much he knows.

"Wow…Um…I'm Kazumi Asakura, from class 2A. I'm also known as 'The Mahora Paparazzi'" said Kazumi with a gentle smile.

"I'm Negi Springfield, also known as 'The Dancing Moon' (AN: This will be explained later.). It's very nice to meet you Asakura san, perhaps we will see each other around campus" said Negi as he shook her hand as best he could without accidentally doing anything indecent.

"Likewise" she replied as the doors to the train opened and everyone rushed out. Negi chuckled and looked for a way to avoid the crowds. Noticing how tall the buildings were he decided on a little self challenge. Quickly running to the wall he runs up it and jumps on to a flagpole sticking out of the building. Using his momentum he flips on to a window ledge where he continues to climb up at an amazing pace until he reaches the roof tops. Without pausing he sprints to the edge of the roof and leaps off, easily clearing a seven foot gap before landing with a roll and continuing running without breaking stride. He continued on for several more buildings before he jumped to another flag pole and flipped to a lower level before he jumps to the ground and rolls right in front of two more girls.

The first girl had long brunette hair and warm whiskey brown eyes. Her face had a cute, innocent aura about it. She was about average height standing at 5'3" with somewhat narrow hips but a thin waist and a medium B cup bust.

The other girl had long orange hair tied into two pigtails that had bells attached to them. She stood at a moderate 5'5". Her face was set in a determined look that didn't detract from the mild cuteness she had. Her eyes were heterochromatic, one being a steely grey and the other aquamarine. She was a little underdeveloped in terms of her hips, though she did have a modest B cup in the chest.

Negi barely took notice of them as he rolled to his feet and began running again leaving both of them in the dust.

"What was that all about Konoka" asked the orange haired girl to the other with a cough.

"I don't know Asuna. Though I heard from my grandfather he was hiring a new male teacher on today…maybe that was him" answered Konoka with a shrug.

"Well so long as he doesn't get in the way of me and Takahata sensei, I don't care" said Asuna as she and Konoka began running again to make sure they are not late to class.

...

(With Negi)

"Alright the Dean's office should be around here somewhere…Ah HA" he said to himself as he found the right room. He entered with a smile that faltered as he saw who else was in the room.

"Ah Negi kun please come in" said Konoemon with excitement as he saw the young man. Negi walked up to the desk, not even sparing a glance at the other person in the room and sat down in the proffered chair.

"Hello Konoemon san, I believe you wanted to see me before I begin teaching my class" said Negi.

"Yes, oh before I forget this is…" started Konoemon only to be cut short.

"I have already met Takamichi. We…do not have the best history together" said Negi somewhat crossly making Takamichi look ashamed while Konoemon raised an eyebrow.

"I trust this animosity will not impede your working together" asked Konoemon an extremely serious expression on his usually laid back face.

"Publically, no, however I would like to avoid Takamichi as much as possible otherwise. As I said we do not have good history" said Negi making Takamichi flinch at his tone. It was one of absolution, meaning that Negi still hated his guts for what happened. Not that Takamichi could blame him of course. Negi had almost lost his only family because of his (Takamichi's) carelessness. If it wasn't for a lucky break in the form of an unknown man, things would have turned out much worse.

"I believe this can be done, however, there will be some occasions that you will have to work with him behind the public's eye" said Konoemon.

"So long as they are few and far between that is acceptable. Is there anything else you wanted from me sir, or may I have my class roster so I may begin" asked Negi as the door opened again. He turned to see who it was only to end up with his face in the very generous bosom of a woman. Negi pulled back apologizing profusely while a light blush adorned his face. The woman had delicate tan eyes and dirty blond hair that reached just past her shoulders. She stood at 5'8" with the full hips of a mature woman, a tiny waist and a very generous H cup bust.

"Ah Shizuna chan, so nice of you to join us. This is our newest teacher Negi Springfield. I called you in to be his advisor for the time being. Please show him everything he needs to know" said Konoemon.

"Ah Shizuna san would you please wait for me in the hall, I have one more important item to discuss with the dean before I begin my duties. I will be as brief as possible" said Negi earning a confused look but a nod all the same. Once the door was closed he looked at Konoemon with a very serious expression.

"Sir, considering my circumstances, I think it would be wise to waive the usual taboo of student teacher relations. I need to find a partner and to do that I must go beyond the boundaries set up for teachers" said Negi making Konoemon think for a minute.

"…You have a valid point Negi…if I am to allow this I want no favoritism from you to any girl you have relations with. Also try to keep it as discreet as possible. The school of governors would have my head if they knew, though maybe it is time for a change" said Konoemon shocking Takamichi with what he was saying.

"I understand, though if anything I might be harder on them, just to give them a little push to better grades" said Negi as he got up.

"Wait, here. This is the class roster, I added my personal notes" said Takamichi handing Negi a book. Negi took it with a scowl.

"I care nothing for your opinions Takamichi, keep them to yourself" said Negi coldly as he left.

"What the Hell did you do to piss him off so much" asked Konoemon with a shiver. He had never seen anything like the hatred that Negi had for the man.

"It wasn't what I did. It's what I failed to do. The boy's father asked me to take care of him and his sister. They were doing fine for a while so I left them, at a very bad time. Not even a day after I left their village was attacked by demons. Many died, but worse than that were those turned to stone. Negi tried defending his sister, but was too weak at the time. She almost died. When I returned, Negi was absolutely furious with me and using more power than I ever knew he had blew me away. He swore that if I ever darkened their doorstep again he would leave nothing left of me. He never trusted me since, and I could never get within more than a mile without hurricane force winds buffeting me back. After a month of trying I came here. I had hoped that Negi would have cooled down about me by now, but instead it seems as if his hatred hasn't wavered in the slightest" said Takamichi with a single tear of regret running down his face.

"It sounds like Negi kun has a valid reason for his scorn of you. However one would think it would have mellowed by this time. There is something you're not telling me" said Konoemon.

"It's his father. Negi hates him even more than me, but knowing that I was his father's friend only made some of the hatred come right back to me again. The boy has been let down by everything linked to his father, with the exception of his sister" said Takamichi as he left the room in order to begin with the introductions to his new class.

...

(With Negi and Shizuna)

"I could see some animosity between you and Takamichi, anything you want to talk about" asked Shizuna as they strode down the halls.

"Not really. He and I have some bad history together. Some things happened that I cannot forgive him for. Some that he doesn't even know about, or just never thought of" responded Negi nonchalantly. He was attempting to keep his anger contained, considering Takamichi wasn't there.

"Well, just so long as it doesn't affect things too badly. So are you nervous about meeting your students" she asked changing the subject.

"In all honesty, I'm absolutely terrified. But I can't let that keep me from showing a strong front. After all if the teacher is confident the students will draw from that, and morale will keep up" said Negi while scratching the back of his head.

"I'm curious about what teaching style you will be using. Is it anything I know" asked Shizuna curiously.

"No, it's an experimental method that was approved by the dean before I arrived. If my class has success with this method it may even become main-stream" said Negi leaving it as a surprise.

"Well here we are. Be careful Negi kun, they can be a rowdy bunch" said Shizuna as she stood to the side. Negi nodded and opened the door slightly to see what was going on inside. He immediately noticed a tripwire in his path, a sure sign of a prank, meaning he should be on his guard. He opened the door fully noticing out of the corner of his eye an eraser falling. Moving quickly he catches it while simultaneously setting off the tripwire. The tripwire sent a bucket full of water falling towards him. Using one massive jump he dodged the bucket and barrage of plunger arrows, landing sitting on his desk with a smug look on his face.

"Hmm…critiquing the prank…the eraser is cliché, the water bucket was well placed but with bad timing, and the barrage of arrows could use a bit more oomph. Next time I would suggest making the bucket tip a few moments after the door opens instead of relying on the tripwire, and next time use a higher powered launcher for the arrows" said Negi to the stunned class.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry that was meant for our teacher" said a girl of about ten. She had short pink hair tied into two pigtails. She stood at about 5'0" and had mahogany brown eyes. Her figure was fairly flat with perhaps large A small B cup breasts.

"I am your teacher. Negi Springfield, at your service" he said as he stood up and did a bow. Most of the girls blushed at seeing him but one stood out from the others.

"Ahhh…I remember meeting you on the train" yelled Kazumi as she jumped to her feet and pointed at him.

"Oh Kazumi san, I didn't see you there, fancy meeting you here. I guess two meetings in one day is a rather interesting coincidence eh" asked Negi with a small smile making her laugh.

"I guess so. So sensei, tell us about yourself. I'm sure the entire school is dying to…" she started to say only to be interrupted by Asuna.

"HOLD IT, YOU MEAN THIS PIPSQUEAK IS REPLACING TAKAHATA SENSEI" she yelled in outrage, as if the sheer audacity was an affront to god.

"First off considering I'm four inches taller than you, wouldn't that make you a pipsqueak? Secondly yes I am replacing Takamichi, at least in this subject I am. Now to answer you Kazumi san, I came from a small village just east of Whales. I was considered a child prodigy in education and after skipping a number of grades I earned a full scholarship to a university where I earned my Bachelor's degree, my Master's degree, and my Doctorate in various subjects. I have unfortunately been living with only my older sister since I was three years old. I say unfortunate because my mother died in childbirth and my father left when I was three on some self-imposed quest. When I was seven there was an incident that has left my sister in a coma ever since. An incident that could have been prevented had I been stronger. So while I focused on my studies I also worked on strengthening myself. I learned Muay Thai and Capoeira, becoming extremely skilled in both, as well as becoming highly proficient in Parkour. Now I find myself with a teaching job here in Japan, enabling me to hopefully pay the medical bills for my sister, as well as finding a way to bring her out of the coma" said Negi making everyone cringe. It amazed them that he could talk so lightly of such a terrible past. It meant one of two things, he was able to move on, or he never cared to begin with.

"My you have had a very interesting life sensei. I can't help but wonder what you have planned for all of us" asked a girl with long pale green hair. It was a few shades lighter than Negi's suit and tied into a low ponytail. She stood at roughly 5'8" with a lightly tanned skin. She had a fox like smile and perpetually closed eyes, though if he looked hard enough Negi swore he could see a glimmer of forest green in her eyes. Her figure was filled out but slim, almost like a models body, with a well-shaped derriere and ample F cup breasts.

"Let me see, you would be student number 20 Kaede Nagase, correct" asked Negi without looking at the roster. Her smile widened a fraction as she nodded.

"Got it in one. So sensei what is the plan" she asked again as some of the others murmured about how he did that without looking.

"Well Kaede san, I have something that I hope will be fun for all of us. The dean approved of me using an experimental method I thought of while studying Japanese. For the first half of the class we will be working on grammar and spelling" he said receiving groans from everyone, making him chuckle.

"Yes I know, the dreaded grammar, but the second half should lighten your spirits. For the second half we will on alternating days be listening to songs in English and translating them to Japanese, and on the off day we will be reading passages aloud from a classic book I think you will all enjoy. It is from an American author known as Michael Crichton, and his two books _Jurassic Park_, and _The Lost World_" said Negi making a few of them perk up, but others didn't see the appeal.

"Sensei what is so great about that" asked a girl with dark pink hair tied into two small pigtails at the side, leaving most of her hair free. She stood at a reasonable 5'5" with a well-toned figure. Her waist was slim but with a nice curve to her hips and sizable C cup breasts. Negi reached into his bag and pulled out a thick, white hardcover book. He flipped to a certain page near the beginning and stopped satisfied.

"Ok…Makie Sasaki, student number 16. I'll give a little spoiler by reciting a passage from the book in Japanese. _A narrow path wound down the hill. The air was chilly and damp. As they moved lower, the mist around them thinned, and Grant could see the landscape better. It looked, he thought, rather like the Pacific Northwest, the Olympic Peninsula._

_ "That's right," Regis said. "Primary ecology is deciduous rain forest. Rather different from the vegetation on the mainland, which is more classical rainforest. But this is a microclimate that only occurs at elevation, on the slopes of the northern hills. The majority of the island is tropical."_

_ Down below, they could see the white roofs of large buildings, nestled among the planting. Grant was surprised: the construction was elaborate. They moved lower, out of the mist, and now he could see the full extent of the island, stretching away to the south. As Regis had said, it was mostly covered in tropical rainforest._

_ To the south, rising above the palm trees, Grant saw a single trunk with no leaves at all, just a big curving stump. Then the stump moved, and twisted around to face the new arrivals. Grant realized that he was not seeing a tree at all._

_ He was looking at the graceful, curving neck of an enormous creature, rising fifty feet into the air._

_ He was looking at a dinosaur_" recited Negi as he watched them with hidden amusement. His class, with the exception of one, was listening to his every word with baited breath. They were enraptured waiting for him to continue, excitement shining in their eyes, now to move in for the kill.

"But I guess if you don't like the idea I can always scrap it and use the full off days for grammar" said Negi only to be hit with a wall of sound. His entire class sans one was screaming negatives, begging him to keep his original plan.

"WAIT, please sensei I take it back. Just hearing you read that aloud was…unbelievable. If that was only one passage and so close to the beginning I can't wait to start it and see what the rest of the book is like" said Makie in a rush hoping she didn't blow it for the rest of the class.

"I think I can let it slide this once" joked Negi as there was a knock on the door. He raised a brow and gave the ok to enter. Much to his displeasure it was Takamichi with several boxes on a handcart. He wheeled it in and set it in front of the desk. Several of the students could see that Negi was just holding in his anger, even though he hid it extremely well, and they could see it all directed at Takamichi. The rest of them could notice a very subtle change in demeanor from light and airy to stiff and ridged.

"Negi san, these just came in for you. I noticed them by the front door and decided to bring them in myself. I'm curious what you would need in bulk so soon" said Takamichi lightly, trying to ease the tension between the two of them.

"Thank you Takamichi. As for what these are…this is an integral part of my lesson plan" said Negi as he opened the top box and smirked at seeing them, just what he had ordered. Thirty-one copies of brand new hardcover _Jurassic Park_. All of the books were the same, white cover with imprinted red foliage and part of a black Tyrannosaurus fossil. He started calling names by the student number, and handing out the copies. When he got to Asuna she completely ignored him and went straight to babbling to Takamichi. Negi shook his head in disgust and skipped her over for now. Takamichi tried to back out sheepishly but Asuna would not let it go. By the time there was only one book left everyone was getting annoyed with the orange haired girl.

"Kagurazaka san, please sit down and stop disrupting class. I let you speak to Takamichi for a time because I can see you were fond of him as a teacher, but he needs to go teach his own class" said Negi irritated. Asuna barely gave him a glance before saying something she really shouldn't have.

"Oh just shut up. Takahata sensei is the best, he should have stayed with this class and you should have gone to where ever they sent him. Besides you're probably just a worthless baka compared to him" she said looking at Negi dead on. One could feel the temperature of the room literally start to drop to sub-zero.

"Student number 29 Ayaka Yukihiro, please mind the class while Takamichi and I take Kagurazaka san to the dean. It appears I need to make an example to show that I AM a teacher, and I at least deserve to be shown a courtesy respect" said Negi as he gripped Asuna by the arm and started dragging her with a flinching Takamichi following behind. The rest of the class was silent as the dead for a few moments until chatter broke out once again.

"Oh my god, I can't believe Asuna just did that"

"I knew she was on the lower end of the class, but I never expected such blatant disrespect to a teacher"

"She just insulted him right in front of Takahata sensei. I never would have thought"

"She really crossed the line there. I hope grandfather isn't too hard on her…oh who am I kidding. Gramps detests blatant disrespect, Asuna has just cooked her goose" and so on. Only nine students were completely silent. Kaede had a look of consternation on her face like there was a problem she couldn't solve herself.

'Negi sensei appears to dislike Takahata sensei a great deal. What could have happened between those two…"When I was seven there was an incident that has left my sister in a coma ever since. An incident that could have been prevented had I been stronger." No could it really be that simple? I'll have to ask Takahata sensei if it's true' she thought to herself a course of action set. Another of the students, one Mana Tatsumiya, had other thoughts as to how she could use this to her advantage.

'So Negi sensei and Takahata sensei have some bad blood between them. Perfect, I can use that to make some cash. I wonder how much Negi sensei would pay to have Takahata sensei removed from the campus' she thought her face remaining emotionless. Two of the Students known as Nodoka Miyazaki and Yue Ayase had identical thoughts on the subject.

'What could have made Negi sensei so hostile to Takahata sensei'. Another student Chachamaru Rakuso had very different thoughts.

'I wonder what master wants for dinner tonight' were her thoughts. Zazie Rainyday had thoughts all her own.

'Negi sensei is filled with such confliction. He is overflowing with love, yet whenever Takahata comes around his hatred boils over. I must observe and help him' she thought. Chachamarus' master however had thoughts on a different subject matter.

'Finally, the son of the Thousand Master, now all I need is his blood and I can be free of this horrendous place. Now…how to break him' she mused. Chisame and Ku Fei had very similar thoughts.

'Takahata sensei must have something to do with why Negi sensei's' sister is in a coma. He must have done something horrendous/terrible' they thought.

"Alright let's all settle down, before Negi sensei comes back. Think about how pissed he was at Asuna, and lets all just calmly discuss this. If we aren't rowdy when he returns he might, and I stress might, read more of the book to us. Or he might have us start to read it ourselves, either way we get to start it" said Ayaka in an attempt to bring order to everything. Most of them listened, wanting to get started on the novel to see what it was like.

"So what do you think made Asuna snap like that" asked Haruna Saotome. Normally Asuna would be at the very least civil to a teacher, but she didn't to Negi.

"Perhaps it was a combination of the facts that he is our age, he replaced Takahata sensei, and when Takahata sensei was here he was trying to separate them, figuratively speaking of course" supplied the resident genius Chao Lingshen. Some of them began nodding as they mulled it over. It was after all a plausible theory. They then changed to Negis' sudden change of mood when Takahata entered the room. It was like seeing the difference between the light and dark sides of the moon.

"It could be a comparison to another person. Some people believe that since they are their own person they should be judged as themselves and not looked upon as inadequate because another person did such and such" said Satomi Hakase supplying one theory.

"Or Maybe Negi sensei just doesn't like being compared to Takahata sensei. We don't know if they know each other, though it seems that way with how Negi sensei was addressing him. If Takahata sensei did something in the past that hurt Negi sensei, or Takahata sensei did something Negi sensei sees as unforgivable, it would be like saying Negi sensei did something even worse, or Negi sensei IS worse, which would be very insulting" said Yue in her usual deadpan making people stop and stare at her like she had two heads.

"…when the hell did you get that intelligent" asked Kakizaki Misa with wide eyes. The rest of the class nodded their heads in agreement.

"I believe she was always this intelligent, however due to a lack of interest in studying her grades have suffered making her remain in the bottom portion of the class. However of she actually applied herself she could probably be in the top ten members of the class" said a voice behind them making some nod in agreement until they recognize the voice. They all whipped their heads around to see a smirking Negi sitting on his desk with his legs crossed. They all blushed in embaressment as he caught them discussing his private life as if it were public property.

"Sorry sensei, we didn't mean to pry like that. We only wanted to speculate on what made you change when Takahata sensei came in" said Ayaka downtrodden. She was hoping she didn't make a bad impression and ruin her chances at being close to Negi.

"I have no problems with speculation, just so long as you don't take things out of context or proportion I don't mind. However if you want an explanation…all you have to do is ask" he said making them face vault.

"So what is up with you and Takahata sensei, Negi sensei" asked Satsuki Yotsuba curiously.

"Well, it goes back to me being left with my sister at age three. Takamichi was a friend of my fathers and he was asked to watch over us. Things were fine for four years, but Takamichi decided that he needed to be somewhere else for the time being, and left. The very next day my village was attacked by a large group of bandits. Many people died, and many more were left in comas similar to my sister. I tried fighting them off, but I was only seven and I didn't have the strength to save anyone. By a lucky chance a unit of soldiers was passing through and removed the bandits. But things were still not good. They left soon after, leaving the cleanup and healing to us. When it was all said and done, 30% of the village was dead, either from the initial onslaught or dying from wounds, another 20% was left in a coma, and around 100 children were left orphans myself included. While you may not see how Takamichi could have played a part in stopping this I'll explain further. You see he was in charge of the northern watchtower, and he left without telling anyone. No one was sent in to keep an eye during his shift since they all thought he was there. Had he been there we would have been alerted and the gates could have been closed so no one could enter. Every death and injury, every orphaned child, every parent left to grieve for their lost child, is the direct result of Takamichi abandoning his post. When he returned a year later, he acted as if he had only been gone for a few hours. He didn't even know what his actions caused. I was mad enough at him for how he failed and hurt my sister and me, but that he hurt the entire village, my anger turned to hatred. Pure and simple I both hate him and hold absolutely no trust in him. His failure to look after and protect us, cost me having my sister for more than eight years, and tore my innocence away at only seven. It was his fault that this *opens shirt to show his chest* happened to an innocent child" he said tears of anger running down his face. At first everyone blushed at seeing his well defined and muscled torso, but they soon paled at seeing what he wanted to show them. His entire torso was riddled with scars. Depressed skin, burn marks, huge patches of milky white scar tissue. It looked like he had been tortured, vary violently. They were sure that if he showed them his back it would be just as bad, if not worse, than his chest.

"Sensei…did those bandits…are all those because" started Ayaka, unable to ask her question as Negi rebuttoned his shirt.

"Yes Ayaka san. The doctors said I was extremely lucky to be alive, and with very little adverse effects. I was one of the 150 children left alive after the bandits were forced out" said Negi just as the bell to end class rang. He smiled sadly at the girls and said one thing as he dismissed them.

"Pity not the child of pain, for his spirit is stronger than the man of pleasure, and he shall prove to the world that he can be just as prosperous." It sounded almost like a bible verse, but none of them had ever heard one like that. They filed out of the room at an almost depressed pace, their minds heavy with what they learned from the new teacher, and not just on the subject he was teaching.

...

(Several hours later)

"Ok that meeting after classes took forever. Konoemon san really likes to be through on those things. Oh I cannot wait to show those fools just how effective my method will be. Humph they don't know the true meaning of it. Oh isn't that a student from my class…ah student number 27 Nodoka Miyazaki. My she has a lot of books that is dangerous" said Negi as he observed her walking to the stairs with a pile of roughly 15 books. He decided to help her, however before he could make it more than seven steps she tripped and fell sideways from the top of the stairs.

'OH SHIT, SHE'LL DIE FROM THAT HEIGHT LANDING THAT WAY' he shouted in his mind and bolted as quickly as he could. She let out an ear piercing shriek as she fell. Negi reached her and slid feet first under just in time to catch her in his arms bridal style. His foot crashed into the wall with marginal force spider web cracks forming from the point of impact. From behind the fountain near them two people came rushing out. One was Asuna Kagurazaka and the other was a girl of Chinese descent. She was around 5'5" with shoulder length blond hair tied into two messy ponytails on the side. Her skin was nicely tanned and her eyes were a deep emerald green. She had a decently developed figure with a nice curve to her hips a small waist and large C to a small D cup breasts. Negi stood up still holding Nodoka in his arms bridal style while wincing as he set his right foot on the ground, the foot that impacted the wall.

"Kagurazaka san, Ku Fei san, I need one of you to show me to the infirmary so I can get Nodoka san looked after" he said as he looked at her with worry. He also couldn't help but take in all her features. Her deep purple hair usually covered the upper half of her face but now it was brushed to the side revealing a very attractive girl. Her eyes were half opened showing eyes the same shade of purple as her hair. Her skin was alabaster pale and from what he could feel soft as silk, Were she standing she would reach about 5'3", with a nicely developed set of curves, with a small waist noticeable curve to her hips and mid C cup breasts.

"Sorry I have other things I have to do" said Asuna sarcastically as she walked away not even giving a backwards glance at her classmates and teacher.

"Negi…sensei" said a small voice from Negis arms. He looked down to see Nodaka stirring. He smiled as she fully woke up and set her on her feet.

"That was quite the spill you had Nodaka san. It was lucky I was there to catch you or we might have needed an ambulance" said Negi with a chuckle as Nodaka winced. She bowed politely and hurried away after picking up her books.

"Don't worry sensei it's not you, she just has Androphobia aru" said Ku Fei sadly.

"Ah, I wish I could help her. I guess only time will see if she can warm up to me, or I will just be another object of fear" said Negi just as sadly.

"So sensei where are you staying aru" asked Ku Fei trying to lighten the mood.

"Well as of this moment, nowhere. The teacher dorms are all full, and I don't know anyone who would put up with me for too long" said Negi with a grin plastered on his face. He found the whole situation hilarious.

"You can bunk with me aru. I don't have a roommate so some company would be nice aru" she said happily as Negi thought it over and nodded.

"Thank you Ku Fei san. I greatly appreciate your offer" said Negi happily.

"Great! Come on sensei I have something I want to show you aru" shouted an ecstatic Ku Fei as she grabbed Negi and started dragging him away.

...

Whoo that was a doozy. It is rare to see me write a chapter of this length, though for this fic it will probably become common place. Now as for the harem Negi will have I'm debating on it starting between three girls. I'll either have it start with Ku Fei, Kaede, or Kazumi. Whomever I start with will be the first girl Negi creates a Pactio with, during the Eva arc. Now as for all the other girls in the harem, I decided to pair him up with girls you don't often see a pairing for. So many are in the NegiXAsuna category it disturbs me. I know in the Anime and Manga she gets nicer as she goes along, but it just seems like too much at the beginning. I mean I can understand a dislike of kids, but to act the way she did was going a little too far. But I digress, this harem has girls that will be infinitely more useful than Asuna (whom you may have noticed in this fic is a lot meaner) despite her magical immunity. I guess that is all I have to say, please review or flame, ja ne.


	2. Chapter 2

The Difference of an Instant

Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of its associated concepts or characters. However if I did, Negi would have gotten laid many times over by now.

AN: Negi will have a harem in this fic. So far the girls include (not in any particular order) Nodoka, Kaede, Ku Fei, Kazumi, Yue, Mana, Zazie, Chachamaru, Chisame, Ako,and Makie.

AN2: Anything that comes from a real source like a book or song will be written in Italics. Italics will also be used for words of extreme emphasis.

AN3: I will be adding a poll to my profile about adding two (or three depending on how the poll goes) more girls to the harem. The top two (see previous parentheses) will be added, and your choices range from the remainder of the class (Asuna not included). As a side note Negi will also begin drawing closer to the girls in his harem. More so with Ku Fei than the others to start (her advantage of being his roommate).

...

Chapter 2: Learning About Your Students and Bathhouse Fun

...

Ku Fei drug Negi by his arm all the way to the cafeteria. She had a devious smile on her face as she threw the doors open to a resounding yell.

"Surprise" was heard until the noise temporarily deafened him. The lights were turned on to reveal the entire cafeteria filled with his class and decorated for a party. Negi temporarily shocked and still a little deaf shook his head to clear the cobwebs. Once he did he couldn't help but smile at the gesture his class was throwing him. It wasn't often someone made you feel welcome, let alone when you are a stranger in a different country. He was gently pushed to the open seat right in the center of the room, the guest of honor as it were.

"Sensei we of Class 2A would like to be the first to welcome you to Mahora. We hope your stay here is comfortable and enjoyable" said Ayaka with a mile wide smile on her face.

Nodoka stood away from everyone else by the wall her thoughts racing as she flashed back to when Negi caught her. She remembered how gingerly he set his foot down meaning it was in some pain. But she couldn't figure out why he would hurt himself for her.

'I was touched by a boy…but…I didn't hate it. He acted like nothing I was told before. He almost seems…genuinely kind' she thought as she cautiously strode over to him.

'Umm…Negi sensei, I never properly thanked you for saving me. I would have broken my neck for sure, if you hadn't caught me…so here" she said pushing some slips of paper into his hands before backing away. He glanced down and saw coupons for the school book store.

"Oh wow coupons! For Nodoka that's first base" said Misa Kakizaki with a giggle, making both Negi and Nodoka blush.

"Enough of that Kakizaki. Here Negi sensei try these" said Chao as she handed him a basket of food. Negi took one bite of one of the rolls and nodded in approval.

"Very delicious Chao san, what exactly are these" he asked making her blush a pale pink.

"Those are Chinese Pork buns. We of Chao Bao Zi brought a whole buffet of dishes for you to try" she said revealing a table covered with all sorts of dishes, from Chinese to Swahili. Standing next to it with a look of pride was Satsuki.

"Chao Bao Zi, I heard of that while on the train. So I guess you work there" asked Negi as he picked up a slice of black pudding and began munching on it (disgusting stuff if you ask me, but hey it's something he might like).

"Work there? I own it" she said with no small amount of pride. Before he could reply a gong sounded and Ku Fei leapt at Chao in a kick, while wearing a blue traditional shaolin garb. Chao blocked her and they both began a routine of well practiced martial skill. They completed it by ending back to back as reverse images of one another. Negi and the others clapped at the display. From there everyone began displaying their own talents; some of them really caught Negis attention like the magic show by Zazie that he simply had to assist in. As Zazie created several small, but fat, pink birds, Negi caught several of them and changed them into bouquets of flowers before their very eyes. After handing one to each girl he smiled and bowed with Zazie.

"Sensei, you should try this" said Yue as she handed him a steaming glass. Negi took one cautious sip to make sure he didn't burn his tongue.

"What exactly is this Yue san" he couldn't help but ask, being unable to relate the flavor.

"It's hot cola, kind of like hot chocolate, but not" she said making him snigger.

"It's not bad. Though I would suggest a little less heat to ensure you don't boil the taste out" he suggested making several people eye twitch. Not only did he LIKE Yue's weird idea…he helped her expand on it. Yue and Nodoka however liked him even more for him showing that he was open minded.

"I'll keep it in mind sensei, thank you for the idea" she said the beginnings of a smile on her face.

"So…Negi, how do you like Mahora so far" asked Takamichi cautiously. He could feel the glares stabbing into his back, and could only assume that Negi told them about what happened. He swore he could even feel smoke coming from the back of his head.

"It has been most enjoyable. I especially enjoy teaching class 2A, considering that they are the most…shall we say enthusiastic about learning from me. I think I could even help the four of the five lowest reach a higher grade than they currently are" said Negi coolly.

"And what four are those" asked Takamichi curiously.

"Yue Ayase, Kaede Nagase, Makie Sasaki, and Ku Fei" said Negi earning a confused look from the four mentioned.

"Why not Asuna" asked Takamichi.

"Because there needs to be a certain respect between student and teacher. A respect that Kagurazaka san completely destroyed when she acted the way she did. If she had simply showed the usual cursory respect that every teacher should receive, she might have a chance to prove that she is smarter as well. As it stands she does not, and more than likely will not show that respect" explained Negi.

"Sensei, I don't mean to burst your bubble, but you probably won't be able to do much with us" said Makie pointing to herself and the others Negi mentioned.

"Oh nonsense. Everyone has the potential to do well; some just need a different approach. For example, if something were to be made fun, it comes much easier. Take your rhythmic gymnastics as proof. You enjoy doing them, and the skills come easily to you correct? Well just imagine if you hated it, you would want to avoid it as much as possible and as a result you would do poorly" explained Negi with a smile.

"But I still can't do well in competitions" she said downtrodden.

"Then all we need to do is improve your concentration. Your body knows the skill, and your mind has the routine, now we just need to focus it" said Negi making her give a slight smile.

"I guess" she said.

"Soon, you'll know" he replied before looking at his watch.

"Oh my, is it really that late already" he asked after seeing that it was past 9:00 PM.

"I guess we better get to the dorms. Night sensei" called Haruna Saotome happily as she led her two friends away.

"Good night all. Shall we" Negi asked Ku Fei as she giggled and led him to her room.

"This will be great sensei aru. I need to really thank you, I'm not going to be lonely anymore aru" she said happily grabbing his wrist and dragging him along. Negi chuckled as she did so, then frowned as he saw how truly happy she was.

'Was it really this bad? Surely she has some friends, but I guess spending night after night alone is different. I'll help her, in any way I can' he thought to himself determination spreading across his face. They reached the door fairly quickly. Ku Fei almost ripped it off its hinges in her hurry to show her new roommate around.

"I call top bunk aru" she called back as she jumped onto it a smile as bright as the sun on her face. Negi took a moment to take in the room he had entered. It resembled a warzone for neat-freaks. Clothing and empty food containers and dirty dishes lay scattered around the room. He could see innumerable dust bunnies and at least seven different panties around the room. All in all it looked terrible.

"…Um…Ku Fei-san just out of curiosity do you clean at all" he asked before realization struck her like a brick. Her cheeks flushed neon red and she looked down in absolute horror and shame.

"Sorry, sensei I just never had anyone here to need to clean up aru. I guess I kind of stopped caring since I never needed to impress anyone, and forgot when you agreed to bunk with me" she said depressed hoping beyond hope that she didn't muck up her chances at keeping a roommate.

"Understandable. I got into a funk like this myself once. It was maybe five after my sister went into her coma. At that point I felt like I could only count on one person, my best friend in the world. But she felt differently. After the bandit attack she looked at me as if it was my fault. It was subtle at first but grew more pronounced as time went on. She blamed me for Takamichi leaving us undefended. She stopped spending time with me after about a year, even though I tried to get her to talk with me. Finally she had enough, we got into a bit of a row and she slapped me, while calling me a few foul names. The next day I see her hanging on the arm of one of the biggest bloody bastards in the village. I mean this guy was known for doing several…unforgivable…things to women, including my sister while she couldn't defend herself. If I could have I would have ripped him limb from limb, but the doctors never let me. They just chased him off. Well anyway, she started seeing him, knowing full well that I had fancied her, just to hurt me. Soon after that I started breaking into the liquor cabinet in my house and stopped caring about anything" said Negi with a shrug as he started cleaning up. Ku Fei noticed and jumped down to help him. It was her mess and she would be damned if an old depression would stop her from making sure he wanted to stay.

"Sensei, how did you not get in trouble for drinking so young aru" she asked as she replayed his tale in her head, shuddering as she realized what he was implying with the guy.

"England has a rather confusing outlook on drinking alcohol. I'll try to explain it as best I can. You are legally allowed to begin drinking at age five so long as you are in a privately owned home and have permission from your parent, guardian, or the host. At age fourteen you can order mildly alcoholic drinks with a full meal, so long as it is your parents paying for it. At sixteen you can sit in most bars away from the bar so long as you drink either low alcohol beer or soft drinks. Finally at age eighteen you can drink without restrictions so long as you have an ID" explained Negi (AN: Before anyone complains about it, I looked it up on several different sites and got several different answers. I went with the one that fits my story so deal with it). Ku Fei nodded her head showing that she understood what he was trying to say. She also understood how he got away with what he did. Since he technically had no parent or guardian, nor did he have to ask a host, it was at his discretion that he drank so long as he kept to his home.

"I understand sensei aru. So how did you get out of your depression aru" she asked wanting to hear more about his life.

"In all honesty, I didn't. I just got tired of moping around and decided to change. While I had been practicing fighting for years I just couldn't be happy, so I was sad instead. Well I got sick of being sad and here I am now. I wouldn't say I'm happy, but neither am I sad" said Negi as he picked up the last article of clothing, a pair of pale pink panties, and put them into a wash basket for later. Ku Fei noticed and giggled.

"You certainly are unlike anyone I ever met aru. You just held a girls' dirty panties without doing something perverted or freaking out at all aru" she said through her giggles making him blush.

"Well considering that I had to help my sister fold her laundry when I was younger you kind of grow used to it. And as an English gentleman I would never think of doing something perverted with a ladies undergarments'. Now if it were with the lady herself it might be a little different" he said wiggling his eyebrows in a suggestive manner. It was too much for her to take and she burst out laughing.

"Don't do that sensei. I can only take so much" she cried through her laughter. Negi only smirked and strode over to her. He sat down next to her as she calmed down and struck up another conversation.

"So what about you? Anything you want to talk about" he asked as she yawned.

"No, I think I would rather go to bed. Good night sensei" she said after grabbing some nightclothes and entering the bathroom to change. She came out a few minutes later and Negi could barely keep from blushing. Her hair was no longer in it's usual style, but instead completely free. She wore a pair of tight boy shorts that showed off her legs very nicely, and to complete the outfit was a _very _tight midriff tank top. All in all she looked damn sexy, and it took every last ounce of restraint from Negi to keep from having a nosebleed.

"Sleep well sensei" she called as she climbed up to the top bunk, inadvertently giving Negi a perfect view of her backside through the shorts. One thing had become abundantly clear to him before he went to sleep himself…she wore no undergarments to sleep. Clothing that tight shows _everything_.

...

Negi woke up to the soft patter of bare feet walking along carpet. Opening his eyes he cursed the fact that he was a light sleeper. While it never caused him any real harm, it never did him any good either. He was pulled from his internal musings by the sound of a flushing toilet. Turning his head he saw a zombie like Ku Fei walk over and instead of climbing up to the top bunk, she just plopped down right next to him and latched on like he was a teddy bear. She nuzzled into his bare chest with a sigh of contentment.

"I'm not alone. Smells good" she mumbled to herself the smile on her face only enhancing the total adorability of the scene. Negi chuckled silently and laid his head back for a night of sleeplessness. He knew it would be impossible with Ku Fei hugging him tightly and pressing her impressive assets into his side. Glancing at the digital clock he notes it being 4:43 AM. He would have soon gotten up anyways for his usual morning training. Just has he began musing about it a loud obnoxious beeping began sounding. Ku Fei shot up like a bullet and turned it off hoping she didn't wake her roommate.

"I take it you're an early riser as well" asked Negi with a smirk as he sat up in bed.

"Sorry sensei, I didn't mean to wake you aru" she apologized.

"It's no big deal. I was awake before that anyways. Besides I usually go out and begin some katas and train at this hour' said Negi making her brighten up.

"Me too aru. Would you like to join me for a little spar sensei aru" she asked as she looked around for her training clothing.

"I would love to, but on one condition" he replied with a somewhat devious smirk.

"What would that be" she asked somewhat nervously.

"When we aren't in class you don't use sensei. I would prefer Negi kun or no suffix at all' he said his smirk widening. She nodded happily at his simple request, as it showed that he wasn't as stiff as the other instructors. They both changed and exited the doors with minimal sound, so as to not disturb the neighbors. They quickly reached the area that they would train in and began some stretches.

"Ok Negi kun, prepare yourself to face THIS" she called as she punched a tree fiercely. The entire thing was uprooted and sent flying a few feet away. Negi could only stare speechless for a moment before Ku Fei spoke again.

"So what did you think of that, honestly" she asked.

"Do you want my complete honesty or a half assed honesty" he asked with wide eyes.

"Complete, please aru" she replied.

"Ok…I am conflicted" he said making her tilt her head cutely.

"How so" she inquired.

"I'm not sure whether or not I should shit myself in fear of your strength…or pop a boner at how damn sexy you looked while doing it…Ah to hell with it I'm going with the boner" he said the evidence of his statement becoming obvious. Ku Fei couldn't help but blush an atomic red at hearing his admission. That was not an answer she had been expecting.

"Umm…Shall we move on aru" she asked making him laugh.

...

(An hour and a half later)

Negi had thought his training regimen was brutal. Hell it had made most men start bawling just looking at it. But Ku Feis' training was just MONSTROUS. It was a wonder the girl looked so petite, considering she should have had a body like a male body builder.

"…Damn…No wonder you kicked my ass" he said with a chuckle as he nursed a bruise that was forming on his ribs. At first it had been close, but she eventually found the key to beating him, and from there it became a massacre. Even as skilled as he was it was not enough to stand up to the sheer dominating skill of the woman in front of him.

"That was great aru. No one has ever given me such a challenge aru" she said happily and in complete honesty. Chao was close, but Negi would eventually be able to beat her. Chao had power, whereas Negi had power and speed. Ku Fei however was just a little faster than Negi.

"Same time tomorrow" he asked happily.

"Damn straight. We should probably change for class" she said noting the time and how close it was to starting class.

"Gotcha. Wanna race back" he asked.

"You're on aru" she said and took off. Negi chuckled and raced after her.

...

(Later in class)

"Alright everyone today we will begin with some grammar and then move on to some music. First we should have a small review, on nouns and pronouns" said Negi containing a chuckle at their cringe.

"Now, who can tell me the difference between a noun and pronoun" he asked scanning the class. One of the students raised her hand quickly so he didn't have to look long.

"Yes…Satomi san" he said pointing to her.

"A noun and pronoun are essentially the same thing, however a pronoun can be used in place of a noun to add some variety to a sentence" sha answered making negi smile.

"Correct. You have a question Zazie san" he asked seeing her hand raise.

"…?"

"Ah a good question. To answer it pronouns are usually he, she, they, it, we, and so on. Anything that can refer to a person, place, thing, or idea can be a pronoun. It would be just like me saying Takamichi is lazy, he doesn't know when to work. In that sentence He refers to Takamichi, so it is a pronoun of Takamichi" said Negi making most of the class look confused.

"Umm…Negi sensei she didn't say anything" said Makie confused.

"Correction, you didn't hear her say anything. There are more ways to communicate than most people know, most of the time it all depends on how you listen. Warriors of the past were said to be able to communicate with their fists. Entire conversations could be held with only a single punch. Samurai were able to talk with the clash of their blades. Some people are able to read what someone is saying merely by the look in their eyes. In the end it all comes down to how one listens. If you try beyond simple sound you will see there is a whole symphony of voices just waiting to be heard" said Negi surprising some of the less trained students.

"…?"

"No Zazie san, I don't think you are a freak for your method of communication. It makes you truly unique, a quality I find most people lack these days, and one that I think is rather attractive" responded Negi seriously, making said girl blush.

"So sensei are you able to communicate while fighting" asked Yue curiously.

"Yes, though I need someone who can listen as I can speak" said Negi.

"I'm willing to attempt it sensei. I want to see just how good you are" said Kaede as she stood up and strode to the front of the room. Negi just smiled and took an open Mauy Thai stance. They both rushed forward in a clash of fists, both standing still for a fraction of a second. When they separated Kaede had an atomic blush and Negi had a shit eating grin.

"I didn't know that about you" he said with a snigger making her blush deepen.

"And you're just a pervert" she responded trying to regain some semblance of her emotional control.

"Pot meet kettle" responded Negi.

"This is true" she said with a laugh. Most of the class was just confused but they got the general meaning. Negi said something perverted, but Kaede proved to be just as perverted.

"Um…sensei what exactly did you two say to each other" asked Ayaka curiously.

"Well Kaede chan basically mentioned that I was in a little dream of hers, while I simply complemented her on her figure" explained Negi.

"I swear if I knew you would have heard me I would have never said that" said Kaede only to receive a chuckle from Negi.

"I would have responded the same regardless. It was once said that there is nothing wrong with complementing the female body, just so long as it is tastefully done" said Negi happily.

"Why does he have to be a pervert" complained several girls to their friends.

"Ok you all need to understand something. All men are to some extent perverts. What sets some of us apart are how well we restrain ourselves from doing perverted acts. Now as far as I go, I'm pretty well in control, but even I will have my moments of, shall we say freedom. You also have to understand that I as a man will have a harder time controlling this by being surrounded by 31 highly attractive women my age, for several hours a day seven days a week. Any man would have problems controlling themselves with that" he said in a semi annoyed tone. The girls who had spoken looked sheepish while others nodded in agreement. (AN: many of you may have noticed the semi perverted Negi, this will be a constant throughout the fic. Besides it's common for a teenage male to be like him, though some are not as open about it.)

"Hey sensei, isn't half the class over by now" asked Chao with a devious smirk. Negi looked at his watch and noticed that she was right.

"Ah, well I guess that means we will start with the songs. Does anyone have a preference" said Negi while the class cheered.

...

(Later that night (I'm removing the love potion incident. No Asuna to help, no reason for the potion, no Negi being force fed it, and no stampede of lustful girls (don't worry Nodoka fans the scene from the library will happen, just at another time in another way)))

"Hey Negi kun, what do you want to do tonight" asked Ku Fei curiously as she sat next to her roommate.

"Well I should probably take a bath first off. I mean you and I worked up a pretty good sweat earlier today so it would be wise to clean up. Do you know where I can bathe" he asked as he gathered his toiletries.

"Yup, the academys bathhouse. Follow me, I'll join you" she said before grabbing a two piece bathing suit and rushing into the bathroom. She came out a minute later and grabbed Negis' hand before he could say anything and drug him all the way to the building.

Once they arrived Negi looked on in awe at the sheer size of the structure before him. It was absolutely gargantuan. He remembered reading that it was built to be able to hold 100 people at one time. He was pulled from his reverence by Ku Fei dragging him to the wash area.

"Could you help me scrub my back sensei" she asked as she began washing her hair.

"Sure, if you agree to return the favor" he said while washing his own hair. She giggled her affirmative and rinsed the suds from her hair. Negi did the same and moved behind her as she started scrubbing her arms and body. Taking the cloth he carefully moved it in small circles around her back, making sure to not go anywhere that could be misconstrued. Just as he finished and was about to let her do the same for him five people entered. It could be considered either fortunate or unfortunate that the direction both himself and Ku Fei were facing happened to be the entrance to the bathes, because the view he received would never be forgotten.

The newcomers were in different states of attire, with one being completely uncovered, two being covered by only towels they held to their fronts (which really didn't cover much), and two having towels tightly wrapped around their torsos. They were Haruna, Ayaka, Nodoka, Yue, and Konoka. Whatever they were chattering about died instantly when they saw that Negi was there…staring at them…or more specifically below their neckline. Before they could react his face lit up like a Christmas tree and he snapped his eyes shut while turning his back to face them.

"I'm terribly sorry. I didn't mean to look" he said quickly hoping to avoid a beating. Konoka, while being embarrassed, had the presence of mind to allay his fears. They knew it was an accident and wouldn't hold it against him.

"It's alright sensei. We know you didn't mean to. It was partially our fault for not considering that you might be here. I mean, when you think about it there is always a chance of someone else being here. We just never took into account that the someone might one day be a man" said Konoka calmly while the others voiced their assent. Negi released a sigh of relief but didn't turn around or open his eyes.

"So Ku Fei, when did you get here and why are you wearing a bathing suit" asked Haruna making the others take note that she was indeed covered.

"Oh I got here the same time as Negi kun aru. He is my roommate and didn't know where the bathhouse was so I showed him aru" exclaimed Ku Fei as she started scrubbing Negis' back like she agreed to. Her statement stopped all of them cold. Ever so slowly Ayaka turned her head. One could almost hear the sound of rusty door hinges creaking.

"You…and sensei…ROOM…TOGETHER" she asked incredulously.

"Yup. He needed a place to stay so I offered. It's nice to finally have a roommate aru" she said not really paying attention to the dark aura radiating off Ayaka.

"I think we should decide a more fair way to see who will house Negi sensei" said Yue.

"Whomever has the biggest boobs" suggested Ayaka thinking that she would win. Before anyone could suggest something else the remainder of class 2A entered the bathhouse and began washing.

"So what are you guys talking about" asked Kaede as she sat next to them. Miraculously no one else had spotted Negi yet.

"We were going to determine who would keep Negi sensei. We decided on a boob contest. Whomever has the biggest boobs keeps him" said Yue. This caught the attention of everyone in the class bringing them all to bear for the competition.

"But that's not very fair. Most of the girls are barely pushing past C cups" said Kaede.

"Oh so how would you suggest we decide" asked Haruna curiously.

"Well keeping the boob theme…how about whomever has the nicest boobs" suggested Kaede. At this point Negi could no longer remain quiet. He refused to be seen as some trophy, and he refused to let Ku Fei return to her depression by him leaving.

"That won't work either. Those contests are all subjective. What one might think of as great boobs, another might think of as less than pleasant" said Negi while still keeping his eyes closed. All chatter ceased in an instant as their eyes locked on to him. He felt a sudden shiver run up his spine, one that held ill portents.

"So sensei, how would you suggest we decide where you room" asked Kazumi.

"You could just not treat me like some trophy and allow me to decide for myself" he suggested making some of them cringe as that thought had never crossed their minds.

"Sorry sensei. We weren't thinking there for a moment" said Ayaka guiltily.

"It's all right no harm no foul. Also since I have all of you here I just want to say that you don't have to address me as sensei outside of class. I prefer informality whenever applicable" he said stunning them.

"I think we can manage that Negi se…kun. So is there anything else you want to let us know about yourself" asked Makie curiously.

"Well, as surprising as it may seem, I'm not all that good at talking to girls. At least not in a romantic sense" he said a small bush coloring his cheeks.

"You know what, I'm tired of not having sensei look at us when we speak. We need to let him open his eyes" said Ku Fei suddenly making everyone stop what they were about to say.

"He's too much of a gentleman to do something like that in our current state of attire" said Ayaka sternly.

"Maybe, but he admitted that control isn't always possible. I think if we were to give him permission he would open his eyes" supplied Kaede.

"If that's what you girls want, though I'm hesitant to do so" said Negi cautiously.

"Alright then, we put it to a vote. Majority rules. All in favor of allowing Negi kun to open his eyes while we are here raise your hands and say Aye aru" said Ku Fei so everyone could hear her. For a split second no one did anything but once that was over twenty eight visible hands shot into the air screaming "AYE".

"The Ayes have it you can officially look upon the class while we bath" said Yue in a deadpan that only she could use while talking about something so intimate. Cautiously Negi opened his eyes and took in his surroundings, just keeping from slaming them shut when he noticed what was right in front of him. Or perhaps who would be a more adept thought, for sitting right in front of him was Mana Tatsumiya in all her glory, her large F cup breasts barely a foot away from his face.

"Like what you see, Negi kun" she purred out seductively making his face turn crimson in less than a second.

"Oh come now Mana, you're not the only one with goods to show off" said Kazumi as she turned Negi to look at her. When she did she inadvertently let him see half the clsss. Finally being turned to her kneeling form with her brests barely a centimeter away from his face overloaded him and he passed out with a nosebleed and a Cheshire grin on his face, said face landing nestled between her chest. He was going to love working here.

"You're helping me bring him back to my dorm room aru" said Ku Fei with an eye twitch. The class giggled at this while Kazumi nodded sheepishly. She never meant for THAT to happen.

...

(With the Bookworm Trio)

"So Honya chan, why didn't you raise your hand to vote for sensei" asked Haruna to the shy bookworm.

"I-I…well…I wasn't sure. I know my body is underdeveloped in terms of…certain areas. And I think something like that should be kept more…intimate than a simple "look at me I'm nude" she supplied nervously.

"Nodoka you seriously have to get over your fear of men, and this inferiority complex you have. Look at me, I don't even have boobs yet I don't care if sensei knows" said Yue.

"Yeah, but you have an even bigger inferiority complex than Honya chan. Yue, Honya chan, I don't know why you two think that you need to be more developed to attract a guys attention. Right now I don't care, you two are going to end up doing something stupid if you don't get over it" said Haruna forcefully. She was tired of her two best friends beating themselves up like this. Oh she knew Nodokas' problem, but she could only guess at Yues'. She had sworn long ago that if she ever found the guys that made Nodoka fear men so much, she would castrate them with a rusty spoon.

...

(With Hakase and Chisame)

"So Chisame what are your opinions of our new sensei" asked Satomi Nakase to her roommate.

"I don't know. It's too soon to tell, but he seems to be pretty normal, aside from the child prodigy thing. I think I may begin to like him" said Chisame with a near unnoticeable smile.

"And the fact that he tells it like it is has nothing to do with your opinion" asked Satomi with a snigger, knowing that her Roommate liked honesty just as much as she liked normality.

"Maybe, maybe not. I'll be in my room if you need me" replied Chisame with a small blush.

...

(With Asuna and Konoka)

"I can't believe the nerve of that stupid pervert. I mean honestly did he have to fall face first into her breasts" groused Asuna. She was still fuming at him for replacing Takamichi, and was looking for any reason to be pissed.

"Oh lighten up Asuna. I don't think he meant to do that. I mean you can't control your body when it shuts down, so it's not like he could throw himself to the side" said Konoka, though her words fell on deaf ears.

"If that damn pervert even looks at me funny, POW right in the crotch. That will teach him to perv on me" said Asuna, making Konoka sigh.

'I have a feeling this will not end well' she thought as she looked at her Roommate.

...

(With Kaede and the Narutakis')

"What were you two able to learn from Negi sensei tonight in the baths" asked Kaede seriously.

"Well…his reaction to Manas' teasing, and Kazumis flirting suggests that he tries to remain in control of his emotions" said Fuka.

"And his dislike of formality implies a more fun-loving individual" said Fumika picking up where her sister left off.

"What about his hands" asked Kaede.

"Huh" they both asked at the same time.

"(Sigh) his hands. The hands can tell you much about a person. For example, Negi sensei has thick calluses on both the insides of his hands and on his knuckles. This indicates that he uses his hands quite a lot. The bruising and scaring also indicated that he takes martial arts very seriously, but the softer skin where there are no scars or calluses indicates that he takes care of his body" explained the elder girl in dismay.

"What all does that mean" asked Fuka.

"It means we have ourselves a good man" said Kaede making both younger girls face vault.

...

Alright folks, King here with your next dose of Negima fic. You have got to love the giant bathhouse, especially when filled to capacity with that class. I decided to show a few reactions to what happened in the bathhouse, just to add a little variety. Not much to report here, except I might soon be updating my fics more frequently. I'll have a nice few weeks of break from college until the fall at 9:00 PM on the 17th. That is the time of my last final. You know the drill review or flame I don't care which, ja ne.


	3. Chapter 3

The Difference of an Instant

Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of its associated concepts or characters. However if I did, Negi would have gotten laid many times over by now.

AN: Negi will have a harem in this fic. So far the girls include (not in any particular order) Nodoka, Kaede, Ku Fei, Kazumi, Yue, Mana, Zazie, Chachamaru, Chisame, Ako, and Makie.

AN2: Anything that comes from a real source like a book or song will be written in Italics. Italics will also be used for words of extreme emphasis.

AN3: I will be removing the poll on my profile about adding two (or three depending on how the poll goes) more girls to the harem. The top two (see previous parentheses) will be added, and your choices range from the remainder of the class (Asuna not included). I will be removing it after the fourth chapter is posted, which will also contain the completed harem.

AN4: I use Takamichi and Takahata interchangeably, which ever I feel like at that point.

….

Chapter 3: Ending the Pain

….

Six days have passed since Negi began teaching the class. Using a combination of small tests, and constant repetition he started to break through the horrible grades of the self proclaimed Baka Rangers. It was a slow process but he was making noticeable progress. Now it was time to strike while the iron was hot and bring in a boost that would raise their grades a whole five percent.

"Alright girls, today after class I will be holding an optional tutoring session. The subjects will range from math, science, reading comprehension, writing, English, and Japanese. Now as I said this is optional though I would like to see a number of you here, most specifically the Baka Rangers" Negi said as the bell rung, letting the class free.

.…

(At the class for tutoring)

Negi looked around and smiled at seeing all who showed up. He saw Ku, Kaede, Yue, Makie, Zazie, Ako, Chizuru, Setsuna, Konoka, Akira, Madoka, Sakurako, Misa, Nodoka, and Ayaka. All of them seemed to be slightly nervous, but at the same time excited.

"All right, you all came here to be tutored on whatever you need. Now I have here a report of what each of you needs the most help in. Now this is not meant to be an embarrassment, but you must first admit your faults. You all need to improve in one way or another; even Chao who has the highest grades in the class could improve in her reading comprehension and English. There is nothing to be ashamed if you need to improve. Even I need to improve on some subjects" it was a speech meant to drive a point home. One that lit a fire in some of their hearts, an all consuming blaze known as curiosity. With that simple speech he had awakened a want of knowledge, a need to improve, a desire to better themselves. He had awakened a love of learning.

Over the course of the next five hours Negi used every trick in the book to help the girls learn. He taught them every acronym, every algorithm, logarithm, and equation he knew in math. He taught them how to write the same paragraph using different points of view, and different writing styles. In Japanese he used the same methods he taught himself, and continued with his method in English. By the end of it he couldn't have been more proud. With each section he had a mini test at the end to see just how they fared. All of them improved by a tremendous amount, at the very least seven percent each.

….

Negi awoke to once again feel arms encircling his neck and the impressive assets of his roommate press against his chest with her head nuzzling against his shoulder. He couldn't help but sigh silently in exasperation. He couldn't deny he liked Ku, but at times she seemed to suffer from a depression that was caused by something in her past. Still he would never say no to having a beautiful woman pressed against him so intimately. Unfortunately all good things come to an end, in this case from the beeping of an alarm clock startling the woman awake.

"Sorry Negi kun. I don't know why this keeps happening aru" she said quietly to his small chuckle.

"You don't need to apologize Ku chan, however you do know why it keeps happening. After all you are the one who keeps sneaking in after you think I'm asleep" said Negi with a good natured smirk. Ku Fei seemed to flinch at how easily he seemed to find her out.

"How did you know aru" she asked dejectedly.

"I told you I'm a light sleeper. The slightest thing wakes me up, and that includes my roommate slipping into my arms and nuzzling my shoulder. Ku you know you can tell me anything right" answered Negi.

"I know aru. I also know you see more than I'm showing don't you" she replied.

"I do, but I'm not going to push you for information. When you're ready you'll tell me, and I'll listen."

"It started with my family back in China. I have three older sisters who have always been…better than me. Su Mei my oldest sister was the valedictorian of her classes and MVP of her Soccer team. The second oldest Lu Rei was in the top five of her school and the star player of three different sports clubs. Finally the one closest to me in age Ju Hei the last I heard she was second in her school, the MVP and captain of her Lacrosse team, the star player of seven sports clubs, and she is also the most popular girl in school. Compare them to me aru. I'm one of the five worst students in the entire school; the only thing I'm good at is martial arts.

When I first came here I had a hard time making friends aru. Because of my trouble with Japanese people don't like talking to me. Some of them said it was like talking to a retard, how they put it aru. The only friends I made before Chao were Kaede, Yue, and Makie but that was only because of the Baka Rangers. We're not very close because of it, and I only became friends with Chao and Satsuki because we all like to cook Chinese food. None of us are really close so you can barely call us friends. I can still hear the mocking from my sisters, 'Little Ku all alone, no friends here, and nothing there,' 'Always the disappointment, no wonder mother and father want to get rid of you.'

Then there are my parents, they don't even acknowledge me. When they do it is usually with an insult aru. But then you came along. You came along and right away you were kind. You spoke to me and treated me just like everyone else. Then you stayed with me, you took away my loneliness. Even now when you know I have been purposefully slipping into your bed, and holding you as if we were lovers. Why? Why are you so kind to me" she asked as she broke down and began sobbing into his chest.

'This has gone on long enough. No one should be forced to go through that' thought Negi.

"Ku chan, you ask why I'm so kind? It's because I know your pain. I know how being ridiculed by those you care about feels. I know how it feels to be all alone. I'll never make anyone feel pain like that from me. Now dry your tears, they don't suit your beautiful face" said Negi as he gently lifted her chin and wiped said tears away with his thumbs. Gently smiling as he gazed into her Kelly green eyes (yes it is actually called Kelly green I looked it up and compared shades of green). She stared back into his chocolate brown eyes, her mouth on a small o at what she saw. They could feel a shift in the air. What they did next could alter their very destinies in a way they never believed possible.

Slowly she began to lean forward her eyes half lidded. Her breath began to labor as the distance between their faces grew smaller. Negi started forward his eyes slowly closing. They met half way, their lips gently brushing once, then again for longer, and again with more fervor. His arms encircled her waist as hers wrapped around his neck as they kissed again and he began sucking on her bottom lip.

Soon Negi took it a step further and tenderly licked her lips asking for entry. Without hesitation she opened her mouth allowing him to deepen the kiss their eyes closing in bliss. She could feel his tongue wrestling with hers sending electric arcs through her body. Then his tongue brushed the roof of her mouth making her moan appreciatively. Liking the sound he licked it again this time intentionally and with more force, making her toes begin to curl as she turned into a puddle of happy goo in his arms. When air became a necessity they broke apart a thin trail of saliva still connecting their lips. Their faces flushed and breath labored.

"That was…unbelievable" said Ku Fei after a moment.

"Yeah" and without another word they went right back to making out.

….

(Later with some of the girls)

Yuna, Akira, Ako, and Makie were using their free time before gym to have a little fun in throwing around a dodge ball. While having their fun they decided to have a talk about their favorite subject in other words Negi.

"So Negi kun has been here a week…what do you think of him?" asked Makie as she bumped the ball over to Akira.

"Well he has that kind of cute thing going for him. He really tries and actually cares if his tutoring session last night means anything" said Akira.

"Yeah he wants us to succeed and is willing to sacrifice his own time to do it" agreed Yuna happily.

"Though I really think Asuna should have been there. She needs his help the most" added Ako a bit perturbed at the hatred showed by the bell wearing girl.

"Yeah, though Negi kun did say he didn't think it would be possible with Asuna. Right from the get go she demonized him and despised him. I think he knew from how she treated him it would be difficult to impossible to help her" added Makie showing the fruits of her tutoring already.

"I think I'm happy we have him for next year. He's a teacher that would help us get into the best of schools" chirped Ako with a small blush.

"True, and as an added bonus he's reliable enough to talk to about personal problems and ask for advice" said Yuna with her own blush.

"Yeah Negi kun is like the perfect boyfriend. I think I could be a good girlfriend" said Makie her face cherry red.

"Not compared to me you wouldn't" said a voice behind them. They turned around horrified at who they saw.

"Yo-you're…" stuttered Ako frightened.

….

(With Negi)

Negi sat in the teachers' office looking over the progress reports from teachers. Many of them had exemplary remarks, congratulating him for his work, and asking him for advice on how to emulate his success. He smiled to himself at how hard his students are trying.

'They'll go far' he thought to himself.

"Negi sensei" called Shizuna from behind him.

"Ah Shizuna sensei, how are you" asked Negi.

"I'm fine, I just saw you and figured now was as good a time as any to ask if you were ready to fly solo" she asked kindly.

"That's how I usually fly…oh you mean as a teacher. To tell you the truth I've been ready since day one" replied Negi with a chuckle.

"Well that's good to know, I'm happy for you" said Shizuna as a loud crash resounded in the room. A panting and crying Makie and Ako rushed up to Negi.

"NEGI SENSEI WE NEED HELP" shouted Makie as the two girls reached him

"Please sensei use your authority" begged Ako. Up close Negi could see things that made him mad…no…he was beyond mad, he was beyond pissed, he was beyond LIVID…he was **ENRAGED**. Both Ako and Makie had several bruises along their faces and Ako had a bloody lip.

"**What happened"** asked Negi his voice infused with pure power. The three women would swear that they saw the iris of his eyes glow an unholy red.

"W-w-we were a-a-att-attacked by the high school students" stuttered Ako. It was plain to see she was more affected by the recent attack than her senseis anger, since she knew it was directed at their attackers.

"**Show me"** it wasn't a request, it was an order.

….

"Ha how do you like that" shouted a girl with long black hair that flowed down her back. She wore the uniform of the high schoolers and had a cocky smirk on her face.

"This isn't fair, we were just relaxing. Why are you doing this" asked Akira as she held her swollen wrist.

"Why? You ask why? It's because this is our free period and you are in the way of where we want to be" said the leader, the girl with long black hair.

"That's mean, we weren't doing anything" shouted Yuna.

"Come on, crawl little babies. Show the world that you are inferior to us" shouted the leader as she grabbed Akira by the hair and started dragging her.

"AHH! Stop let me go" shouted Akira in pain as she held her hair and tears streamed down her face.

"**She said let go"** Negi's voice echoed from seemingly every direction as he stormed towards them. To them it looked as if a harbinger of death was descending upon them.

"Who are you" asked one of the high school girls.

"**I am the teacher of the students you are currently assaulting"** said Negi as he forcefully separated the leader from Akira. She immediately latched on to him and began crying into his chest. While he wanted to be angry, his heart melted at the sight of her so broken like this. She needed his comfort more than his anger, so taking a deep breath he calmed down.

"Sensei! Thank god you're here. Please we need help" begged Yuna as she moved to hide behind Negi.

"I know. You! High schoolers! This behavior is beyond unacceptable, it is absolutely reprehensible, and I will be speaking to the dean about your actions…all of you" said Negi directing the last at the girls who were standing back.

"What! Why us we didn't do anything" shouted one of them indignantly.

"EXACTLY! YOU COULD HAVE STOPPED HER! YOU COULD HAVE TRIED, BUT YOU DID NOTHING! THAT MAKES YOU JUST AS GUILTY" shouted Negi some of his anger returning. Most of them cringed, but the leader stood her ground. During this time the rest of Negis' class gathered around them.

"Sensei, do you need assistance" asked surprisingly Mana as she moved up next to him.

"No Mana chan, thank you for asking, but no" replied Negi.

"…?" asked Zazie moving beside Yuna

"I would be appreciative Zazie chan. Please keep them safe, Makie chan is with Shizuna sensei already" said Negi as he gently shifted Akira to her taking note of her swollen wrist.

"U-u-um, s-s-s-s-sen-sens-sensei, p-p-lease be careful" said Nodoka her stutter worse than before. Now many would see that and just assume it was because of what they did to her classmates, however Negi could see something in her eyes. Something that sent warning bells in his head.

"Nodoka, would you please come here for a moment" he asked.

"Yes s-s-sensei" she asked as she stopped next to him.

"Nodoka, I want you to be completely honest with me. I _cannot_ stress enough that your honesty is, needed" whispered Negi to her more serious than she had ever seen him. All she could do was nod.

"Are _any_ of these girls responsible for why you are uncomfortable around men? Did any of them say or do something that gave you Androphobia" he asked in that same serious whisper.

"…No…but they d-d-did make it w-w-worse" she admitted quietly. Quelling his anger slightly he decided to follow through with his threat. He would bring them all to the dean.

"Ku chan, Kaede chan, Mana chan, Setsuna chan, Chao chan, Ayaka chan, please restrain the high schoolers. We have a meeting with Konoemon about their actions and attitudes" ordered Negi as commandingly as he could. At once said girls jumped to action and surrounded the perpetrators. They would have led them away if there hadn't been an interruption.

"Now now, Negi kun, don't you think this is a little excessive" asked Takahata with his usual smile on his face.

"Considering they attacked my students with no reason other than space I believe my actions are appropriate,_ Takamichi_" he replied with venom.

"I'm sure you're just misunderstanding the situation. Why not let them off with a simple warning and be on your way" said Takamichi placating.

"Misunderstanding…_MISUNDERSTANDING_! Four of my students have been sent to the infirmary for injuries that could only be obtained by intent to cause harm. They wanted to hurt my students, and would have done much more damage had Makie chan and Ako chan not come to get me. The one who does not understand the situation is you Takamichi" ranted Negi as his patience was beginning to wane.

"Takahata sensei would know better than you. He has more experience with these things, and knows everything" Asuna put her two cents in. Most of the class flinched as a bolt of stupid lightning hit Asuna again making her speak when it would have been infinitely wiser to just keep her mouth shut. This time however instead of keeping her mouth shut another decided to intervene.

"And Takahata has a doctorate in what subject? As Negi kun has told us before there is always room for improvement and if you ask me Takahata could use a LOT of improvement" said Ku as everyone's jaw drops. The normally obliviously happy girl they all saw was gone, and in her place was this calm, collected, and apparently angry woman.

"How dare you" Asuna began, as she moved towards Ku angrily.

"I dare because I know what Negi kun went through because of Takahatas screw up. Takahata could have saved Negi Kun so much pain, but instead he caused it" replied Ku without changing her tone or posture. She was fearless in the face of a wrath that would make many a person cower. Asuna grabbed Ku by her shirt collar and lifted so they were eye level.

"Say that again. Give me a reason to mess your face up" Asuna said threateningly.

"Now that's enough both of you" said Takahata as Ku Fei moved at a speed nearly untraceable and pushed Asuna away and jumped back herself. Not even a split second later a single foot crashed into the ground in a devastating ax kick that cracked the ground from the point of impact to the full width of the path. All eyes followed the foot to its owner, one Negi Springfield.

"I'm disappointed in you both. Especially you Ku. While I am grateful you saw fit to defend me, you needn't have taken it so far. Now let's all calm down and get these high school girls to the deans' office" said Negi as he turned to see said high school girls gone.

"Umm Takahata sensei sent them off while you were scolding Ku Fei and Asuna" supplied Konoka flinching at the look on Negis face. Negi was obviously fuming, but after taking a DEEP breath calmed down considerably. Ku Fei moved next to him and set her hand on his shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze and one of her usual smiles. He couldn't help but smile back slightly.

"Alright I can't undo what Takamichi has done so we'll have to make the best of it for now. I was hoping to surprise you girls later but I'll be subbing for your next period, so go get ready" said Negi with a chuckle.

"…"

"Zazie chan, Ako chan, Makie chan, Yuna chan, Akira chan? I thought four of you would be in Shizunas' office, what do you need" he asked in curiosity. Ako and the other three injured looked down in slight shame and dejection.

"Takahata sensei came by and told us to get to class. He wouldn't even let us stay to get passes out of gym" said Yuna sadly.

"Akira can't do anything with her wrist sprained like it is, and Yuna has a sprained ankle. But the sensei is VERY strict about passes out of gym" said Makie.

"I think I can help, you just do what you can to get ready, except you Akira chan. You just sit down and relax. I'll help you when it comes to other classes" said Negi with an honest but sad smile.

"Thank you sensei" she said with her head down. Negi couldn't help but sigh. She showed classic signs of blaming herself for something well beyond her power.

…

Negi scanned the scene in front of him a scowl returning to his face. The bullies from earlier were there preparing to start their shit again. Enough was enough in his opinion, it was time to take the bull by the balls and make it submit. He stepped in-between Asuna, Ayaka, and the high schoolers in time to stop things from getting physical.

"Alright that's enough. This is twice in one day you have caused trouble for my class…IT ENDS NOW" shouted Negi startling some of them back.

"Oh and how do you propose to do that, huh? Takahata sensei will just step in like last time and-"the leader started but was cut off by Negi.

"He will do nothing, because this time I intend to deal with this as it always should have been…in **MORTAL KOMBAT**" he started holding up an old SNES game cartridge. His sentence finished with an echoic yell that seemed to come from everywhere, but at the same time nowhere.

"What the hell" asked one of the girls in confusion and fear.

"What you never watched the Mortal Kombat movies? I'll make this easy for you then, you each play a fight in this game against me and when you lose you will accompany me to the dean's office to face your punishment for your actions. Each one of you that beats me will get off scott free. Do we have an accord" Negi explained, as he placed the cartridge in the slot of an already set up SNES and Projector and turned on the game. Mortal Kombat flashed across the screen before it went to a character selection screen. Negi immediately chose a character dressed in black and yellow (if you don't know who this is, commit seppuku now for you have just failed at life.)

"Fine this will be over quickly" said one of the girls as she grabbed a controller and selected the only female character. She was right it was over quickly…with Negi gaining two Flawless Victories. Another stepped up to the same result. Again and again they stepped up and lost to a Double Flawless Victory, always ending with a Fatality (both extremely hard to do in the SNES version of the game, especially against another person). Finally it was down to just the ring leader and Negi.

"Alright teme, I watched you enough to learn your style. Now it's time for you to see why I'm the Regional Mortal Kombat tourney champ two years running" she boasted selecting the same fighter as Negi. He just chuckled and began the fight. It was easily the longest fight up to date but in the end the result was the same. Negi still decimated her ending with him sending a jet of flame and leaving her fighter as nothing more than a skeleton.

"Oh did I forget to mention that I was the Mortal Kombat World Champion six years running. I chose the oldest game to give myself a bit of a challenge. Looks like I win. Each of you will follow me to the dean's office for punishment" said Negi over the cheers of his own students. The other girls looked like a mixture of shame, anger, disappointment, and annoyance. They lost fair and square, and worse they couldn't dispute agreeing seeing Kazumi held up a video camera and replayed their acceptance of the deal.

Negi led all of them to the deans' office a smile on his face. Now was the time to set things right and show he is not to be taken lightly.

"Oh ho ho, come in" a voice called from behind the door as Negi knocked.

"Konoe san, I come bringing several troublemakers that have been harassing my class" said Negi formally holding the door for said troublemakers and his students.

"Hmm, I assume this is not something you feel you can deal with on your own" said Konoemon stroking his beard.

"Not while remaining objective. I would have brought them to you earlier but Takamichi seemed to think the situation did not warrant this" he responded.

"And just how can you say it does" said Konoemon slipping into full dean mode, his hands interlacing across his face.

"The sheer damage done and the intent to cause more. Makie chan and Ako chan were covered in bruises when they came to get me. When I arrived on the scene Akira was being drug around by her hair, as they taunted her and Yuna. Akira was also given a sprained wrist while Yuna sprained her ankle. If that does not indicate both actions and intent to hurt than I question your judgment" Negi replied coolly, while several girls gasped at what he was insinuating.

"I see, and just how was it you were able to round them up after Takahata interfered"

"They seemed inclined to try again during my class's gym period, one I was fortunate enough to be subbing. I hear the usual sensei won't allow you to sit out without a pass? That could have resulted in a few rather nasty breaks, considering Takamichi blocked them from getting passes from Shizuna sensei"

"I understand there has also been a slight rift within your own class, mostly between Asuna chan and the others for her attitude towards you, more specifically Ku Fei chan for defending you"

"I cannot say I didn't see it coming. I knew from how Kagurazaka san acted there would be some dissent in the ranks. I however can say I'm glad there are students who respect me enough to stand up for me"

"It was my pleasure aru" Ku interjected making some girls laugh.

"Be that as it may I'm glad you brought this to my attention"

"There is…one more thing"

"Oh, well out with it boy. Anything they did must be known so I can properly decide a punishment"

"The reason I hesitate is out of respect for the person in question. I won't use any names, but I will say these…despicable beings…mentally tortured one of my students making a fear of hers much worse than it should have been…and making my job much harder because of her fear of me"

Haruna gasped once she put the pieces together and a look of raw fury blazed to life in her eyes. She would have lunged had Zazie and Mana not intervened and held her back.

"LET ME GO! LET ME TEAR THOSE BITCHES A NEW ASSHOLE! IT'S THE LEAST THEY DESERVE FOR HURTING HONYA CHAN"

"Haruna calm down. This is a matter that can only be dealt with by going through the proper channels. I can assure you the punishment I think fits will be much worse than any physical pain" commanded Negi taking on his full sensei persona, one that demands the respect one of his position has earned.

"I will take your suggestion into account Negi kun. Now please tell me what you think is fitting"

"Expulsion and disassociation" he replied making a few who knew what he was saying gasp.

"The expulsion I am familiar with, however disassociation I have yet to know about"

"If I may sensei" Yue asked stepping up.

"By all means, please show the dean "said Negi with a smirk.

"Sir, disassociation is a relatively new addition to some Japanese school punishments. It started in England as a way to show just how far some of the students have gotten out of line. It's used most often as turnabout. Some look at it as being cruel, others look at it as being life. Simply put after expulsion the school goes a step further and denounces those expelled. Letters are written to different schools labeling the behavior of the students, most of the time ensuring they will never further their education beyond that point. In essence depending on when it happens it can make life extremely hard, or ruin it completely. However worst of all, is the sheer dishonor that comes with it. Most families are so shamed by it they disown whoever was expelled, on the spot. It's only used when someone's life has either been ruined already, or there is a great chance of it being ruined because of their actions" Yue explained for once her voice filled with a slight fear instead of the usual monotone.

"I see…Negi are you certain such a harsh punishment is required"

"Sir let me ask you this, what is the predominate gender in positions of power"

"Male of course"

"And would you not say that having Androphobia, a FEAR of MEN, would severely dampen a person's chance of doing anything in this world for a career. In a male dominated society like ours life will be exponentially harder. So to answer your question, yes I think it is fitting"

All but one of the girls was sweating bullets at hearing just what would happen, and they were even regretting their actions. Only the one seemed to be cool as a cucumber. In fact she even smirked like this was all playing into her hands. Not even three seconds later Takahata barged in a look of consternation on his face.

"Are you up to this again Negi, I thought you understood this was all a misunderstanding. 2A get back to class, you high schoolers you too" he said giving Negi an angry look. To his immense surprise however no one moved, the high schoolers because the door was blocked, and 2A because…he couldn't tell. "I thought I told you all to get back to class."

"Oh Takamichi I'm sure your just misunderstanding the situation" said Negi making several girls snigger at him throwing Takahatas words back at him.

"How so" he asked narrowing his eyes.

"There are only two instances where a student will choose to ignore an order from a teacher. One is they have a contradicting order from a teacher with more seniority, the only possibility here being Konoe san. The second is if they have no respect for the teacher giving the order, what I believe is the case here. You have the respect of only one student in 2A, that being Asuna Kagurazaka. My students will not listen to you"

"Then detention for all of you. Two days from now, the art room" he said using the only power they had to respect from him, punishment. Though it would cut into his relaxation time, he felt it would at least make them listen in the future.

"Sorry Takamichi but my students will be unable to attend your little soiree. You see every night for the foreseeable future I plan on having tutoring sessions to help my students in their problem areas. I think prepping them for the school placement test is a bit more important than your pride"

"Grr…fine then. The day after placements are announced they will serve their detentions" Takamichi stormed out of the room not even glancing at the reason he attempted to intervene in the first place.

"That was a very risky gamble Negi kun. The longer Takahata san stews over this the worse he will be when the time actually comes. He hates disobedience from a student to a teacher"

"I know Konoe san. That is why I would like you to leave all disciplinary actions to 2A completely in my hands"

"I'm not entirely sure that is a good idea, many would claim leniency and favoritism"

"Sir I can vouch for sensei he will show neither" Ayaka spoke up a serious look on her face.

"And what proof do you have Ayaka kun"

"During an altercation between Asuna and Ku Fei he scolded both without discrimination, despite that Ku Fei was defending him and is also his roommate" Ayaka explained looking Konoemon in the eye.

"I see, and how do you feel about this Ku Fei"

"While I wish I was not reprimanded, I understand that sensei has his reasons and feel shameful that I antagonized Kagurazaka san, falling to that level" she said stunning everyone that she even knew what those words meant.

"Is this the same Ku Fei, who should be in the so called Baka Rangers? Because I don't have any other Ku Fei on my register"

"Yes Konoe san, this is that Ku Fei. You know it's amazing what a person can be taught when the teacher is willing to put a little extra effort into teaching them the basics. Most of Ku chans problems originate from having problems with Japanese. Once that is rectified the rest of her grades will improve by leaps and bounds. She is smart, but some things get lost in translation"

"I see"

"Said the blind man" Evangeline interjected with a snigger.

"Oh ho ho, Eva kun seems to forget who controls her lodgings" Konoemon said a slightly sadistic gleam entering his eyes.

"Empty threat old man, empty threat"

"Umm…Eva chan it really isn't. I know for a fact that if Chisame chan hadn't offended him in her first meeting she would have gotten a single room. Instead she 's now lodging with Satomi chan" Konoka said making Eva chuckle.

"Be that as it may it's still a bluff and he knows it"

"As humorous as this conversation has become I think we have gotten a little off track. So Konoe san, have I been proven trustworthy enough to be given complete control over 2A's disciplinary actions"

"Ah of course. My decision is…"

…

(Later that night)

After another good tutoring session in which the whole class, sans Asuna, attended an exhausted Negi and Ku Fei stumbled into their room, neither in the mood to do more than eat and go to bed.

"Uhh…I don't know what to make" Ku whined from the fridge. They had the ingredients to make a number of dishes, but neither wanted to do more thinking right now.

"He he, how about you leave the cooking to me tonight Ku chan" Negi offered grabbing a few things off the shelves of the fridge and cupboards.

"I didn't know you could cook Negi kun. What do you plan to make"

"Chef surprise"

"What kind of surprise"

"As in I'll be surprised if you like it" that got a laugh out of both of them. Soon enough however Negi had whipped up a masterpiece of leftovers made into its own meal.

"This looks great Negi kun"

"Thanks, I hope it tastes as good as it looks"

They ate quickly and quietly not feeling the need to talk, just enjoy each other's company. Things felt different, but comfortable. It was like the difference between cool and warm. One feels nice in certain circumstances; the other feels nice all the time. Once they finished eating they cleaned up and looked to the beds. Again they felt that shift that told them of a life altering decision. Looking into each other's eyes they saw something lying just beneath their own insecurities. It was that…flicker of something…that set their choice. Smiling brilliantly Ku nodded and gently led him to the bed where they both stripped down to their undergarments, lay down next to each other and snuggle in close. Ku raised her head from Negis' shoulder looked him once in the eye and kissed him deeply on the lips, him reciprocating.

"Good night…Negi"

"Good night…Ku"

…

(AN: For those of you who do not get the significance of the last two lines I'll explain. There are only two reasons a person would stop using the suffix at the end of a name. 1: When the person speaking intends disrespect, such as Negi to Takahata. 2: When the speakers convey a closeness of beyond friends, usually this is reserved for spouses, fiancées, or in some cases a girlfriend or very important friend.)

…

(Next week in class)

A soft melodious tune floated in the air, sad yet at the same time encouraging. It was as if the very music itself was urging you to show your grief to the world. This sound, created from an acoustic guitar resonated from within the classroom of 2A. Here we find the sensei Negi playing the song, with a skill that is seen once every few years. He had been playing the song so long he failed to realize that his class was already seated and just watching him raptly.

Then the song changed. It was still sad, but this time telling the world of another's pain, instead of trying to reveal your own. Negi seemed to completely zone out the rest of the world as his music began to affect those listening, somehow awakening a part that some of them had forgotten or never even knew existed.

'This feeling, my chest is constricting. It is like the gears are tightening, it makes me leak fluid' thought one of the girls as she reached up and wiped coolant from her cheeks.

'Sensei…you have been through so much. That fact that you can be as kind as you are…I never knew it was possible. Money seems so…insignificant…compared to this' thought a certain dark skinned gunslinger as tears slowly carved tracks in her cheeks.

'I felt this way…when gammy and gramps died. I…wanted to stop feeling like this. Why does sensei know this feeling? He shouldn't know this…he's too kind…too emotional. But he does know it…maybe…maybe it is alright to feel' thought a blue haired bookworm as she let tears flow down her face for the first time in years.

'This pain, it…reminds me of my own. But I didn't know a man could feel like this, the hopelessness…this despair…it's greater than my own. Perhaps…not all men are bad' went through the mind of a purple haired human bookstore unashamedly letting her tears flow.

'Is this what he remembers from that day? The sorrow…the desperation…to be accepted…to be…loved? I forgot that no matter how weird a person still wants to be loved like everyone else…have I really become so callous as to forget they are human as well? Have I really become so cruel' thought our resident hacker as she violently wiped the tears from her eyes.

'The boya has been through much more than I thought. This misery…this wretchedness…rivals anything I have been through. No…perhaps…he has been through worse. I don't know if I can actually kill him. To think his own father let this happen to him" thought a blond haired chibi as a single tear fell down her porcelain face onto the desk.

The song ended with Negi opening his eyes and jumping at the sight of his class.

"Ah…Hi all I didn't expect you here for another few minutes"

"Sensei where did you learn those songs? That was…amazing" asked Misa Kakizaki her jaw nearly to the floor.

"Well in all honesty I kind of…wrote them myself"

"Whoa! Sensei what else can you do" asked Fumika stars shining in her eyes.

"Well I'm pretty good at the violin, I can play a mean ocarina, and my singing voice isn't half bad. Usually I try to avoid things like that in public though" he replied scratching the back of his head nervously. It was then the girls noticed something different about him. His hair was flowing free instead of tied in its usual ponytail. Several girls blushed at seeing the change in his looks. He looked so…relaxed.

"You'll have to play again for us sensei" Fuka cheered.

"Maybe after the placement tests are over in a few days" Negi said before a knock on the door interrupted.

"Ara ara, Negi kun, the dean wanted me to give this to you. He said something about a final test for you" said Shizuna sensei from the door as she handed Negi a letter addressed to him.

"Thank you Shizuna san, I appreciate you coming all the way down here to inform me" Negi smiled and accepted the letter. After waving good bye he opened the letter to see what his task would be. It was so simple he almost face vaulted.

_Negi, for your final test you must ensure that 2A is not the worst scoring class in placements this year._

"Umm…sensei, what did Shizuna sensei mean by a final test" asked Ayaka seeing her sensei give the letter a deadpan look.

"Well, as you know, I'm not a real teacher yet only a temp. If I can pass the deans final test I will be declared a full teacher, if I fail I'll be sent back to Wales" he replied folding the paper and putting it inside his suit pocket.

"WHAT!" came the cries of half the class.

"What is this final test, beating a gang of thugs? Rescuing a hostage from dangerous situation" asked surprisingly Mana as she prepped a rifle to assist her favorite teacher.

"Ha ha oh nothing of the sort. Now settle down all of you. I don't want you worrying about this until AFTER the placement tests. I was given no time limit so I have plenty of time to make a strategy to pass. However for now I will make sure you are all prepared for the test. Please open your novels to page 233 and we will begin translating where we left off, with Kaede Chan"

"Sure sensei" she replied. Negi listened and couldn't help but smile. He was hearing less and less mistakes every day, and best of all from the worst in the class.

"Near perfect translation Kaede chan, I only notice a few grammatical errors here and there. Now can anyone tell me where her mistakes were…"

…

(With some of the girls in the bathhouse)

"Ahh this is terrible, terrible I tell you" Makie exclaimed to everyone as she rushed in.

"What's so terrible Makie" asked Konoka.

"I heard a rumor that the lowest scoring class get's broken up this year, and the five worst get sent back a grade" she cried with tears in her eyes.

"WHAT! Konoka please tell us this isn't true" begged Haruna with a pleading look.

"I don't know. I remember when I met grandpa last night he mentioned a possible punishment for the lowest scoring class…_'_ _If I can pass the deans final test I will be declared a full teacher, if I fail I'll be sent back to Wales'_…OH KAMI! I know what he plans to do now" Konoka exclaimed as she remembered Negis words earlier.

"Spill it! What's going to happen" Ayaka ordered.

"Think about it. Negi sensei gets a letter from grandpa with a final test, Makie hearing about a rumored punishment for the worst class, I hear my grandpa considering it. If we score lowest Negi sensei…GETS FIRED" Konoka shrieked. Many may think she is overreacting, but she really likes Negi as a teacher. He made learning fun, and even tried more than Takahata to help them. That was a keeper in her book.

"Oh really, the pervert gets sent packing? This is like a dream come true, I'll finally have Takahata sensei back" Asuna crowed happily.

"Out of the five worst of us Asuna will drag us down the most…Ku Fei, Kaede, Makie how much have you three improved since Negi sensei arrived" Yue asked hoping they may be able to make up for Asuna if they all buckle down and work their asses off.

"I'm not sure, but I do know my test scores have gone up by 25% since Negi sensei arrived" Makie offered.

"My scores have gone up by at least 30%" Kaede said proudly.

"I improved a whopping 45%" Ku boasted happily.

"And I rose 35%. We're doing much better but we're still the bottom of the rosters. It looks like we will need IT" Yue said cryptically.

"It?" questioned Makie.

"Rumor has it that in the depths of Library Island there is a magical book that if read will make you super smart" Yue explained while sipping a weird concoction of Pineapple juice and green tea.

"Will it work" asked Ako curiously.

"It should, we just need to find it" Yue responded with a nod.

"Alright then, let's go to library island" Ku called happily.


End file.
